Pundit says ‘technical’ Arsenal star is actually like Bernardo Silva

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Robbie Mustoe believes Mikel Arteta has a player in his ranks at Arsenal who is similar in style to Bernardo Silva.

The Gunners’ squad building has closely resembled Manchester City’s since Arteta took over in N5, with the Spaniard evidently keen on acquiring players who match what he had to work with at the Etihad.

However, there have been subtle differences in the two clubs’ recruitment in the last couple of transfer windows, as the Arsenal boss has focused on adding more physicality to his ensemble.

That said, the North Londoners continue to develop exceptionally technical footballers through their increasingly fruitful academy.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Robbie Mustoe says Ethan Nwaneri is similar to Bernardo Silva

Ethan Nwaneri impressed off the bench for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest on the weekend.

Introduced in place of Martin Odegaard, who suffered another shoulder injury inside the opening 20 minutes, the 18-year-old was careful and considered in possession, retaining the ball excellently.

The starlet looked at his best last season out wide, but is looking to develop his game in a more central role this campaign.

Saturday was his best audition in Odegaard’s position yet, and this showing has earned him a glowing comparison from Robbie Mustoe.

Speaking on the 2 Robbies Podcast, Mustoe said Nwaneri is ‘a little like Bernardo Silva’.

“Nwaneri, every time I see him play, he looks more confident in midfield,” he said.

“He’s super cool, he’s collected, he’s technical, and he’s precise, doesn’t give the ball away. He’s like a little Bernardo Silva, knits things together.”

Nwaneri’s performance should have merited him a start against Athletic Club on Tuesday evening in the Champions League.

Ethan Nwaneri’s statistics vs Bernardo Silva’s statistics

Like Silva, Nwaneri is versatile, with the teenager able to operate across the front-line and in midfield.

That said, the Hale End graduate still has a lot to work on before he gets close to the six-time Premier League winner.

As shown by the data above, the impact that both players have in the final third is actually currently at a similar level.

However, Silva has been exceptional in City’s system in recent years at retaining possession in almost every area of the pitch, using his elite technical quality to keep the ball.

Nwaneri demonstrated that he’s capable of this against Forest for the first time, but will need to keep producing similar performances to garner regular minutes in Arteta’s team.